WSM
We thought turnout for the municipal elections in Carrboro was low, but word on the street is that the turnout for the board elections at Weaver Street Market is abyssmal. Apparently
even though many folks in Carrboro are members of the Weaver Street
Market cooperative, only a couple of hundred members actually vote in a
given election for the board. Considering there are probably 10,000+
members (educated guess based on the membership numbers i'm hearing people give at the register these days), that's a 1-2% turnout rate. Considering that the market is
arguably the soul and conscience of Carrboro, it's surprising
that so few people take a moment to learn about the candidates and take
the important step of voting.
This year we're hoping that changes. So
in an effort to promote voting of "consumer-owners", both candidates
for the board have written this piece to get the word out about the
voting, to tell you a little about ourselves, and to encourage each of
you to reach out to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to
vote as well.
Weaver Street Market will change the way it rewards consumer owners. Starting at the end of June, consumer owners will receive a Patronage Dividend at the end of the year rather than a 5% discount on some products at the cash register. The co-op will also eliminate its 10% discount for senior citizens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Like many businesses, Weaver Street Market is going through a difficult financial time; the change is expected to save the co-op $60,000 per month. “Changing from discounts to dividends, along with other changes that our staff is making, will put us back in the black,” said Dave Rizzo, Chair of the Board of Directors. The co-op is currently losing $65,000 a month primarily because sales are down 12% compared to last year in its Carrboro and Southern Village locations. The lower sales are due to the economy and increased competition.
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